Meimei
by Taiki Matsuki
Summary: Xiaochun has a problem and turns to a hesitant Jianliang for advice, not realizing the advice she's going to get from her big brother is anything but what she's expecting. Uploaded with Original Author's permission


Meimei

It figures, the day they air the episode of Digimon Xros Wars I've been dying to see since Toei released the summary for it three months ago (HUGE battle, the Dark Masters from Adventure make a comeback with Devimon _and_ Vamdemon), _just_ as the opening theme starts to play…

…Someone knocks on the door to my room. Thank the Gods for DVR (I've got _every_ episode this season on my DVR – Well, except the ones I download-that-I-am-still-going-to-buy-on-DVD-when-available-but-used-since-DVDs-are-so-damned-expensive, as Lianjie would say). I pause the show as it records. "Come in." I turn my head to the door from my bed.

The door opens, Xiaochun pokes her head in, she speaks in a softer tone than usual, "Jianliang, um, sorry to bother you but I _need_ to ask you something. It's…_really _important." Xiaochun steps inside, closing the door behind her. "Do you have a minute?" …Well…

Normally, with Xiaochun, I'd tell her to wait until after Xros Wars but, this time? Her expression tells me this is something big, something she wanted to turn to her big brother for.

"Sure," I nod. I motion for her to sit at my desk chair, she does so. "What is it?"

"Um…I-I need to ask you about, um, being with someone you, y'know, _like_…A-A lot." _Dating_ advice? From _me?_ To _Xiaochun?_

…There's a _lot_ wrong with this picture…

"Wh-What? You're asking…_me?_ Um, Xiaochun, wouldn't Jialing be a better choice? Or even Lianjie. They've at least _been_ in some kind of relationship." Jialing with _males_, too, Xiaochun. I mean, not wanting advice from Lianjie because he's Lianjie is _one_ thing but…This is Jialing's territory, _not mine!_

In theory.

Xiaochun quickly shakes her head. "No, not Jialing. I don't think she'd understand and, um, Lianjie's just, um, _himself!_" She's got a point about Lianjie but…Jialing wouldn't understand? She's, um, had her share of boyfriends ranging from "good" to "Jialing and-slash-or Dad and-slash-or Lianjie and-slash-or all three want to drive him deep into the wilderness sprayed with female-bear-in-heat scented 'cologne' and leave him for dead." Mostly the first one, though. The latter? A couple, _especially_ one that Lianjie _almost_ beat up for "making his little sister sad_," _but she told him not to…She still liked him "that much" to at least spare him a _very_ thorough beating from Lianjie. We were _all_ worried about how_ serious_ he sounded that day, actually, but…She was really upset that he broke up with her (almost as much as Lianjie...).

But, Xiaochun, Jialing's the one who'd be good for _boy_ advice. I mean, she _can't_ be coming to _me_ for _boy_ advice!

…'Cause if she is…

I shake my head, "Yeah, but—"

"And, um, Jialing, Lianjie and me, um, we sort of _know_ you're seeing someone…" …Shit.

Be calm! BE CALM! _BE_ _CALM!_ "I-I'm _not_ seeing anyone—"

"Jianliang, we all _know!_" …Know? "I mean, Lianjie pointed it out last week: You're_ always_ going over to Takato's," _SHIT!_ "Come on, I know you two are friends but you can't see him _that_ often, Lianjie and Jialing know it's a cover!" …Oh, _thank the Gods_… "'Cause otherwise, you're either madly in love with Takato or he's gotta be getting _really_ tired of seeing you." …Trust me, he is _not_ tired of seeing me. And vice-versa.

But I _still_ don't want to talk about _Takato_ with _Xiaochun_. "Cover" or no "cover." …Gods, that was close, I'm glad she didn't pick up anything from the "heart attack coming on" expression I'm sure I had for at least a split second back there.

"They're wrong, Takato and I are best friends, that's we see each other so much," I say, as calmly as I can. "I mean, after the Digital World? He's my best friend, that's it." Emphasis on _IT!_

"Jianliang…_Please_," Xiaochun lets out a quiet sigh, lowering her head and closing her eyes tightly. "I-I really, _really_ need to talk to you about this! Don't lie, _please_ don't lie!" …Cr-Crap! She…almost sounds like she's going to cry. _Xiaochunmei_, wh-whatever this is…It can't be _that_ serious!

…Can it?

My little sister must really like this boy. I'm betting it's Hiroshi, he's in one of her classes and he came over a while ago for a class project, she was _really_ nice to him and everything while they worked. Even Lianjie joked about how they 'looked cute' together.

Xiaochun's in her second year of middle school. And she even has one of my old science teachers and, last year, my homeroom teacher from my first year.

As for me, I'm in my second year of high school. And second year of my first (and, given how things are going, hopefully _only_) relationship…With Takato Matsuda. But only Takato, myself and one other person know this. And that third party is sworn to secrecy and is _not_ someone I'm related to in any way.

"…Okay, I am seeing…someone," I say, quietly. "Xiaochun, calm down. I-It's not that big of a deal. You…want to confess or did he already…?"

Xiaochun shakes her head. "I just _really _like…him a-and, we-well…Wh-What's her name?" Huh?

"He-Her name?"

"Your girlfriend's! C'mon, you _know_ I can keep a secret now!" Xiaochun says, looking at me with her arms crossed and an _attempt_ at her usual 'I'm a sweet n' innocent widdle girl fwom the depths of Heww itsewf' smirk (Lianjie's nickname for it) but…She can't really pull it off, something really _is_ bugging her right now. I've never seen my little sister _nervous_ like this._ Ever! _

"I-I…Er…He-Her…name is…" I stammer, feeling my cheeks warm up. "Xi-Xiaochun, first…Tell me _your_ problem, okay? Wh-What's going on?"

Xiaochun's semi-smirk fades, she swallows and says, "I-I want to confess."

"And…?"

"…It's scary," She whispers, lowering her head and sighing, "Re-Really…_Really_ scary. But…I really, really _like _him." She looks up at me again. "Did you confess or did she?"

"She did," Sort of. "Is it Hiroshi?"

"N-No, he's a jerk," Xiaochun shakes her head. "I only invited him over that time 'cause we had a science project. I was nice to him _only_ because it was a _huge_ part of our final grade and he's _really _good at science." She swallows, lowering her head again. "I-It's...someone you know, but…You tell me her name first, okay?"

"I-I'd rather not," I shake my head. I couldn't even think of a name that sounds convincing, Xiaochun knows all the girls I hang out with, too, and 'Takako' is a dead 'my brother's gay and seeing his best friend' giveaway.

"Why can't you say it? …It's not _Ruki_, is it?" Ruki? Gods, no! She's _not_ the romantic type, Ryou has confirmed that. Give her flowers, she'll force feed you a 'weed salad.'

"_Definitely_ not Ruki," I shake my head.

"Juri?"

"No. Xiaochun,I _really_ don't like…talking about her—"

Xiaochun lets out an annoyed sigh, her voice cracking, "Jianliang, I would swear before Guan Gong that I won't tell _anyone_ if you'll help me, _please!_" She's _really_ desperate for advice and _from me_ of all people!_ Why?_

…Okay, if she's…serious about that.

"Then do it," I say. "I-I'll…answer any and every question about…her…If you swear before the shrine," I reply. "You have to swear to him you'll _never_ tell a _soul _until I say you can. Promise?" …I-I can't believe I'm going to do this but…

…My little sister's not herself right now, and who she is isn't something I like seeing at all. So, if it can help her and…Swearing before _any_ deity, especially Him is…NOT something even Xiaochun (or even _Lianjie_) would take lightly. I-I'd feel safer knowing she's _that_ serious about this. If she is, then…

…I'll tell her about Takato and I. Neither of us want our families to know, not yet. Or at all. I-I have _no idea_ how my parents would take the news and…

…Takato knows his Dad wants grandkids. At the very least, he knows that much. Not how badly or if he'd settle for _adopted_ grandkids but…That fact alone really gets to him. That and he really has no idea how he'd accept a gay son, he knows he doesn't have a _big_ problem with gays. No outward disgust or anything, he might be a _little_ awkward around an obviously gay customer, though.

His mother, though, um…She has a gay cousin she's close to, so he's been tempted to at least tell her but, even knowing about his mother's cousin, he loses his nerve at the last minute every time. I can't blame him, I-I'm afraid I'll lose _my_ nerve any second with this. And we both know: Accepting a stranger or a friend or even a distant relative is one thing…Your own son? Your flesh and blood?

That's a whole new ball game. One Takato and I are _terrified _to even think of playing.

…Xiaochun, this…This had better be…REALLY important. Which, if you're this upset, it obviously should be. But, _why me?_ I-I swear, this is…Jialing's territory if anything! Unless Xiaochun _suspects_ or…

…Shit, what if she caught us or something—No, then…She'd have just said she knew I was with Takato, not using him as a "cover" to see my "secret girlfriend." Xiaochun's sense of tact isn't _that_ good, not even _close._ Jialing and I agree: She's _so much_ more like Lianjie in _that_ regard, Lianjie would have just started things out with: "C'mon, I _know_ you're seeing Takato" and I'd have to figure out whether or not he was _joking_ before I could give _any_ kind of response beyond the initial three that'd pop into my skull: Deny, DENY, _DENY!_ N-No, she doesn't…She doesn't suspect anything.

…Gods, please, let this be a huge shock to her and not contain the words 'knew it' in any way shape or form. Or 'X older sibling-slash-parent-slash-mutual-friend-of-Jianliang owes me X amount of Yen,' too.

Xiaochun quickly nods and _bolts_ for my door, she opens it and goes into the living room. I, almost _cautiously,_ follow her, there's no-one else around, actually…I know Jialing's home and probably in her room but Lianjie must be out with our parents or something. Otherwise, I'd been seeing two Guan Gongs: The one small statue at the family shrine in the corner of the living room and another in Lianjie's copy of Dynasty Warriors (most likely dueling Zhang He of Wei).

…Actually, I sometimes wonder: Our television is within his view, exactly how _does_ he feel about the fact my brother plays Wei almost exclusively in Dynasty Warriors as opposed to Shu-Han (which I like to play, mostly as Zhao Zilong or Ma Chao)? Well, he hasn't been struck by a plague of bad luck, so I assume Guan Gong's cool with it…Or at least likes seeing Zhang He beat the hell out Sun Quan and Wu's top generals on Lianjie's favorite map: He Fei Castle. Lianjie _hates_ Wu (we _all_ hate Wu).

As I get to the family shrine, Xiaochun is already on her knees before the small, red-clay statue of Guan Gong. She claps her hands together, saying, "I swear to you, _Guan Di,_ that I will not reveal my elder brother's secret girlfriend's name until he says I am allowed to. And, _please_, let…things…go well for me, _please_." …She's definitely serious, I was sort of joking when I first told her to swear before the shrine but…

…Xiao_mei_, what's wrong? She's come to me for advice before but _never_ like this. I'm officially worried now. She even asked for his help with her confession. Obviously, my little sister is…Dare I say…

…_In love_ with this boy.

…Okay, Xiaochun, you did swear before a deity, I owe you…the truth. As hard as it's going to be for me to say, I can't back out now. I owe you the truth and all the help I can offer…I guess she _did_ pick the right brother: She can't get boy advice from Lianjie, after all.

Gods, I-I _never_ thought I'd tell _anyone_ about this. _ESPECIALLY_ not _XIAOCHUN!_ I-I mean, she's_ Xiaochun_, keeping secrets "used" to be difficult for her (she's gotten a _little_ better about that) but…

…I know my little sister can be a pest, whiney, loud, aggravating and wishing-to-find-out-one-of-us-was-adopted-because-we-don't-want-to-really-be-related-by-blood-_ANNOYING_ at times but, well, she's still the best little sister I could ask for and if she's got a problem, even if this turns out to be 'first confession jitters' or something like that…I need to help her, it's my duty as her older brother. I didn't swear before any deities but I'll act like I did, because my sister is that important to me.

_Wo ai Xiaomei_. _Wo ai wo de tongke_…I love all of my siblings. That will never change. Even when they drive me insane, they're still my siblings and I can't even _begin_ to describe how important my family is to me, even when they get the most on my nerves: I love my family. Always. And this had _better_ be proof of that, Xiaochun.

Takato's that way with his cousin, Kai, they're not siblings but…They're as close as brothers to where one _could_ make that mistake when they're together. Takato's _really_ worried about what will happen the day Kai finds out about us. He knows Kai's straight, too, he's seeing Minami back in Okinawa. And, when he wants to, Takato's…Actually _really good_ at 'playing it straight' because of how often Kai would talk about girls with him, he just imitates Kai on 'the gayest day of his life' when the subject of 'girls' comes up around his parents or the other Tamers (which is _really_ convincing and the biggest reason I never suspected him until he came out).

Xiaochun turns to me, her expression isn't anything _close_ to her usual smirk, she's…actually, she looks scared, too, like I am, sort of.

I lower my head. "…Okay, I-I'll tell you, let's…go back to my room. You can't tell _anyone _about this, Xiaochun." I'd say 'promise' or something like that but she already showed how serious she is, I don't think I need to.

"I won't, Jianliang_ge_," Xiaochun says. "Just, um, _please_ help me. I-I really, _really_ need advice and…" She just trails off with a sigh. "_Please_, help me."

I let Xiaochun go in first before closing the door behind me. I'm actually tempted to _lock_ the door because…I-I _don't_ want people knowing about this, I mean, I _really_ don't want _anyone_ to know other than Takato…And, well, Kenta knows, too, but…

…He's 'one of us,'too. I-I was _so_ relieved when he caught us in our secret spot and, after a long silence between all three of us, finally said, "_Thank the Gods…I'm not alone."_ …We all had a long talk that day, it was…helpful for all three of us, actually, but _especially_ Kenta-kun. Kenta's _really_ insecure, finding out about us was the_ best_ day of his life, he said. We were glad to help, though we were still scared out of our minds that someone caught us making out. We found a new, _super_ secret spot after that. I don't think we'd get the same reaction from anyone else, _especially_ Hirokazu or Ruki.

I look to Xiaochun from the door, quietly asking, "Why _me_, though? …Re-Really, I-I still don't think I'm your best choice for…_Anything_ like this, Xiaochun." I mean, yeah, she'll get _boy_ advice instead of _girl_ advice but…

…Confessing to _another boy_ is completely different from confession to _a_ boy. Lianjie would be a better choice since, at least, he doesn't have to give her a long 'I'm _so deep_ in the closet' story, just 'I told her I liked her' and she either said 'let's give it a shot' or slapped him. I'm guessing, at least.

It takes her a minute to answer, she lets out a quiet sigh and says, "'Cause you _always_ help me when I really need it." I sit next to her as she speaks, "a-and…I-I don't think Jialing would be very helpful, it's…different, sorta," Xiaochun whispers. …Different?

"How?"

"I-It's…It just is," Xiaochun shakes her head. "Yo-Your turn, re-remember?"

"I-I know," I nod, closing my eyes tight and taking a deep breath. I've got to honor my end of the deal.

I'm quiet for a long time as…I try to get my mouth to do _anything_ other than go dry as a bone. I finally lower my head, clenching my fists to my side and whispering _barely_ loud enough for _me_ to hear myself. _"…Takato…" _I hope she heard me because…

…I don't know if I can repeat that.

"…What?" I have my eyes closed still, I-I can't bring myself to look at her expression. "Ji-Jian…Jianliang…? Di-Did…Did you…say…?" …She's _definitely_ shocked, I can tell from her tone.

"….Takato," I whisper, louder than before. She…She definitely heard that. "I-I…I'm—" Before I can say the world's most difficult three letter word, I feel two arms wrap around me, _tightly_. I finally open my eyes to see if this is really happening. I-I'm _shocked!_ I was expecting "gross" or "stop joking" or…_Anything_ but a hug.

"…_Thank you,_" she whispers. "Thank you _so much_ for telling me, Jianliang_ge_. I-I promise, I won't tell _anyone_, no matter what…D-Do you…How much do you like him?" She looks up at me, she's...She's actually almost teary-eyed. I-I can't believe it!

"…I love him, a-a lot. He's…very important to me, ever since…he confessed." I reply. "I-It doesn't bother you?"

"_Never!_" Xiaochun shakes her head, she hugs me tighter. "I-I love all my big brothers, Lianjie_ge_, Jianliang_ge_ and Takato-niichan! Th-They're _the best!_" Takato-_niichan_? Ha ha ha!

Suddenly…I-I feel…_really_ at ease about telling Xiaochun about Takato and I. She's…Gods, I was expecting her to be, well, shocked and maybe a little grossed or weirded out. Anything _but_ a hug and _thanks_. And adopting Takato as her big brother, too…

…_Xiexie, Meimei._ I-I'll do my best to help you with your confession, now. I'm sorry I ever doubted your support.

"Thanks," I hug back, smiling. "We…We've been together for almost two years."

Xiaochun ends the hug and sits normally. "When you realized you were, um…" She glances to the door and whispers the word "gay" and then speaks in her normal, though quieter than usual, tone, "were you scared? Ho-How did you…realize it?"

I speak quieter than I usually do, clearing my throat first, "I was scared out of my mind. I-It took a while for me to really admit it to myself…I-I would, um, find guys, ah, 'attractive' but shrug it off and try focus on girls instead. A-And I eventually realized I didn't…_like_ girls like I was 'supposed to.' And…I-I was scared, Xiaochun. I-I would have done _anything_ to change, especially when I realized I…I…_Loved_ Takato. I didn't want to risk losing him as a friend, so I kept it to myself."

Xiaochun just nods, slowly. "And _he_ confessed?"

"Ye-Yeah, it was…Two years ago this Summer." …That was…_Chaotic_, to say the least. Takato was…I-I'd _never_ seen him so scared, even after all we've been through: Takato. Was. _Terrified_. So was I, even after _he_ came out and still thought I was straight. He was afraid he made a huge mistake, I was afraid I was dreaming!

…But…

…Takato's braver than I was about this, he _came out_ to _me_. I could barely _acknowledge_ that I was gay and Takato…He took what he called the biggest and stupidest risk of his life but…

….He also said, 'it was worth it' in the end. I was inclined to agree. Especially after our first of _many_ kisses. W-We were _so_ happy after that day, we lost _all_ of the anxiety and fear we had before of losing our friendship over this. That and so much more fear and anxiety in general, we weren't _alone_ anymore. That alone made us both so happy once we realized it: We weren't alone, we weren't _broken_ in some way. We were _normal_.

We did lose our friendship in a way, though. Only because we became a couple instead. And we _don't_ want things to _ever_ change.

"How did Takato confess? When did it happen?"

"Um, it was…less of a confession and more 'coming out' at first," I begin. "Takato came out to me and, when we both managed to calm down, I told him I was gay, too, and…We talked for a long time just…Just _knowing_ someone else who was 'the same' was…We felt…so alone before that." Kenta did, too, we knew _exactly_ how he felt when he found us that day…He's handling things worse than we did but, after discovering us, he doesn't _deny_ his 'preference' as much as he used to. We're helping him as much as we can. We talk about guys _a lot_ with Kenta…Especially Ryou and Hirokazu.

…It was a _little_ hard to admit at first but, yeah, Hirokazu's…Kinda cute. In his own 'I'm the great Hirokazu' sort of way, at least. Kenta, of course, has a thing for him but all three of us know: Hirokazu's straight as an arrow. Despite Ruki's jokes, he really is…

…Kenta wishes otherwise, though. We do, too, since…Those two already act like a couple, why not take that extra step? Kenta sees Hirokazu's "ambiguously gay" status as a sign The Universe likes to play with him in the cruelest way possible sometimes.

"Ye-Yeah," Xiaochun whispers. "Like you were the 'only one,' right? That's how you both felt, right? …Like no-one else you knew…" She trails off.

"No-one else in the world, sometimes, Xiaochun," I say, quietly with a nod. "So, finding out that I wasn't alone and _my best friend_ was gay, too? I-I…For the first time ever, Xiaochun, I was _happy_ about it. _Finally._"

"What do you mean by 'finally?'"

"Well, it's not like I _hated_ myself over any of it but I _hated_ keeping it all to myself, to fake an interest in girls all the time, the fear of losing my friends, things like that. Knowing someone, _anyone_ else, let alone _Takato_, who was gay, too? …I didn't feel alone anymore, that…was the first time I was _ever_ happy about being gay. Especially after we became _official_ as a couple—As in, y'know, fi-first kisses and all! N-Not…" Th-That came out a little wrong…

We're not _that_ official!

Again, Xiaochun nods, holding back a giggle at how embarrassed I look. "I get what you mean…And it meant a lot more since it was someone you were so close to, right?"

"_So_ much more, especially since…Well…I _loved_ that person," I let out a quiet laugh, smiling. I smile just for the fact that it's so _easy_ to say this to Xiaochun. "A-Actually, it also means a lot to tell _you_ this_." _I feel I should mention it since I appreciate her support so much. I mean, this is…_huge_. I _never_ thought I'd tell anyone in my family this soon or get _anything_ like this reaction…

…_Xiexie, Meimei. _Ha ha ha!

"M-Me?" Xiaochun _shouts_, giving an apologetic nod and glancing to the door before quietly saying, "Wh-Why _me?_" She's _really_ surprised by what I said, actually.

Well, I guess it's more than a little unusual for me to say something like that. I wouldn't normally trust Xiaochun with a secret like this.

"Because you have _no idea_ how much of a relief it is that you approve," I say. "I-I'm _afraid_ of how Mom and Dad are going to react the day they find out, more than I am of you, Lianjie and Jialing. I know Takato and I can't hide forever, so…I-I just hope they find out when _we_decide to tell them, not walk in on us or overhear me telling him…I love him or anything. We want to tell our families on our own terms and, hopefully, it'll work out."

"Mom and Dad wouldn't…They wouldn't abandon you, Jianliang! I-I wouldn't let them!" Xiaochun gives me another hug. "The-They'd…They'd have to abandon me, too!_ Wo ai duanxiuge!"_ Ha ha ha, loves her 'cut sleeve big brother.' Thanks, Xiaochun…I-I actually like that!

Her support right now…I'm so glad to know she really feels this way about my secret. It also makes me feel better about how the rest of my family might react, I don't expect the same level of support from all of them but…At the very least, I know Xiaochun will be there to defend me from any negative reaction. I can't believe how much of a relief knowing that is…

…Even if this is just 'first confession jitters' like I suspect, I'm glad I'm telling Xiaochun all this, now. Thank you, Xiaochun.

"Thanks, _Xiaomei_," I smile, putting an arm around her.

"Can you tell me how Takato's coming out confession went?" Xiaochun looks up, smiling a little. "Please?"

I nod. "It was at the start of Summer break, the day the power went out at the apartment. I went to the bakery, hoping I could hang out with Takato or, at least, help him work in an air conditioned environment," I chuckle, I was willing to volunteer to help at the bakery as long as it was near an air conditioner—Which Takato's family has running _all_ Summer _every_ Summer because of their ovens and it is a _relief_ on a hot day. It can actually get cold enough in the front for Takato to tend the cash register in a long sleeve shirt and pants even if it's over a hundred degrees outside.

That power outage…Gods, something blew up in the basement or _something_ like that. There was a _deafening_ BOOM and the power went out for the entire building. We went without power for _three_ days and in the middle of a really bad heatwave…Not. Fun.

…Lianjie spent those three days in his underwear in his room, playing handheld games he had saved for power outages with a battery-powered charger. I…did the same thing, actually, but with _my door closed!_ Windows all open, though.

Ugh, Lianjie…I didn't need to see that! _Or_ have you barge into _my_ room _constantly_ asking to look through my handheld games in your underwear while asking me why I was bothering with the "blanket loincloth" ("…_Unless_ _you're_ _actually_ _wearing_ less _than_ _I_ _am_, _heh heh heh!_" I _wasn't!_) Ugh…My brother has boundary issues sometimes, it's why I _always_ lock the bathroom door when I so much as wash my hands. And even when I _know_ he's not home.

At least he _finally_ learned to _knock_ come the power outage last Christmas when we were all wearing ten layers at all times...Which is completely fitting for my brother, now that I think about it…

…And yet he _still_ managed to walk in on me changing _once_ during that!

But, like I said, even when they drive me insane: I love my siblings. Even Lianjie, who tends to chauffeur me to the asylum on a weekly basis.

But, the first day of the power outage, after the apartment's temperature went up ten degrees in under an hour the Li siblings decided it was best to be somewhere (_ANYWHERE_) else while they 'worked on it' and hoped to come home to a nice, cool apartment (wasn't happening, unfortunately, but Dad was happy to get a _huge_ discount on that month's rent because of the whole thing). Lianjie and Jialing went to an arcade, Xiaochun went to the public pool with Mom and Dad.

I decided to go to Takato's instead of the pool or arcade, _especially_ the former…I-I was, um, _not_ in the mood for a place that reminded me _a lot_ of my 'issues' at the time – Not since I discovered that Ryou Akiyama's choice of swimwear is _black_ _speedos_ (which Kenta sees as "proof of a loving deity," I couldn't hold back my laughter as Takato _agreed to that!_).

I_ barely_ managed to hide that nosebleed from _Ruki_ of all people that day. I know she didn't see it because, well, I'd never hear the end of it if she so much as _suspected_ that I was the _slightest_ bit gay. Takato, though, still gets his share of gay jokes from her, unfortunately...I once tried to defend him but Takato, actually, _played_ _into_ the joke a _little_ and later told me: Ruki would most likely get suspicious if I was suddenly defending his (and probably soon, if I kept it up, _my own_) orientation. He actually had a point, but I don't _laugh_ at her jokes…

…Most of the time, even Takato admits some of them are funny. And he thinks it's better we laugh _with_ her and not 'adamantly deny any rumors' to keep our cover. Kenta confirmed for us that none of the others suspected us, we told him we didn't think anyone suspected him, either (we certainly didn't).

Kenta suspects she knows about him, though. He gets…really nervous when the 'gay joke spotlight' is on him and Hirokazu. Especially after he found out about us…

…I admit, I might have tried to turn the 'spotlight' over to myself if Kenta looks _especially_ upset. Takato says he does the same sometimes, now. We really want to help Kenta, he's…a bit of a wreck over it. Worse than we _ever_ were.

"I remember that, you…You were _really_ happy when you came home that day, you were the only one smiling," Xiaochun says, nodding. Yeah, everyone else was _miserable_ in the heat but…

…The fact I had my first kiss that day, _nothing_ could make me feel anything but _overjoyed_. Just _thinking_ about the fact Takato and I were_ a couple_ was…More than enough to make me ignore the heat. To me, it was like Christmas: Both in terms of joy and temperature!

"That was why," I say with a quiet laugh, looking to Xiaochun, she's…She's _smiling_ a lot, I-I can't believe it. Kenta didn't smile this much, she _really_ wants to know how all of this went. Again, this is the _last_ reaction I thought I'd get from my family. "When I got to the bakery, it was actually closed…Takato's parents were out of town for the next five days, Mr. Matsuda surprised Mrs. Matsuda with a 'romantic getaway' for their anniversary and Takato was left home alone," I explain. "He could have a friend over but, well, no girls and no parties." Takato also had a _ton_ of unsold bread that he had to either eat up or give away to friends since Mr. Matsuda couldn't spoil the surprise by _not_ baking bread like he usually did. He didn't want Mrs. Matsuda to suspect a thing, so there was _plenty_ of bread for Takato and I that week. And for me to bring home, Takato _insisted_ on it, especially after we were a couple. He wanted to thank me and "never stop" thanking me, he said. I felt the exact same way, especially since _he_ was the one with the courage to come out.

Xiaochun laughs, "O-Oh yeah, that was when you brought all that bread home, too. That helped _so_ much with the heatwave." Yeah, I brought a 'day's supply' of bread home until the power came back on: Takato's idea, actually, since without power the bread would've gotten moldy a _lot_ faster in the heat. Takato knows his breads, I didn't argue when it comes to that subject (none of us do, Takato's become our number one source of baking and cooking advice, actually, even _Ruki_ calls him now and then if she has to bake something for school). And I _got proof_ of what he meant: A fresh bag of choco-pan I left in my room and forgot about went moldy (_beyond_ moldy – Like a new form of life was evolving before my eyes!) _two days_ after I brought it home because the heat made it go bad so fast (normally: It'd last _at least_ a week, provided no-one ate it before then – which is _rare_ for Matsuda bread in the Li household). Takato gave us _so much_ bread, all of our favorites and then some. My parents even wrote him a thank you letter since it saved all of us (especially them) from cooking and having to turn on the stove or oven (both of which were gas powered) or order out.

Takato wrote back: _Anything for my best friend and his family, sorry about the heatwave._ My Mom repaid Takato with a _huge_ batch of her famous baozi (his favorite fillings and everything) when the power came back on. He _really_ appreciated it, he _loves_ my Mom's baozi. More than Terriermon did_,_ even!

My family loves Matsuda Bakery bread so the bread helped us feel _less_ hot and miserable when I'd bring it home or Takato'd drop it off if he came over to meet me before we went to 'hang out' somewhere…

"…My first date was the day after his confession," I say. "When Takato came over around noon with all that bread." I remember, Lianjie greeted him at the door _in his underwear_ and…Takato's reaction was, um…

…Takato _barely_ managed to hide the nosebleed he got, actually. He managed to look away and ask to use our bathroom. Lianjie was too focused on the 'world's most awesome choco-pan' to notice, _thank_ _the Gods_.

I-I did my best not to laugh when I noticed a few drops of blood on his shirt sleeve later in the day. He told me:_ "Jen-chan, um…Since we're officially 'out' together, um…I-I won't lie, your brother is…kind of cute. So-Sorry, but I-I was _not_ expecting…_that!_"_ I-I didn't mind hearing that, I just hoped Takato wasn't too embarrassed by how hard it was for me _not_ to laugh by that point.

"_Ha ha ha, I understand…But, is he cuter than me…?"_ I-I couldn't believe I _said that_ to him but, at the same time it was…_fun_ to be able to _joke_ about that! To be able to acknowledge that we were gay to each other was…

…We never thought we'd be able to be _so_ open about this with _anyone_, let alone each other. We, um, spent the first week together being 'gayer than usual,' let's say. It…just felt _good_ to be _open_ for once in our lives, to be able to talk about how cute, say, _Ryou_ is and not feel weird about it...We even, um, checked out guys together at the mall for fun one day. I-I couldn't _believe_ I was doing something like that but...Takato and I just had so much fun "being out" together.

We both laughed at Takato's response, _"If it was _you_, Jen, your family'd think there was a murder scene at their front door,"_ ha ha ha! I-I took that as a compliment. Actually, that 'murder scene' was possible since, knowing Lianjie, he'd have just sent Takato to my room if he didn't ask to use the bathroom first. Jialing told me he was here and I put some clothes on…

…In fact, when I mentioned that to him, I got a 'preview' of that scene followed by the words, _"Sorry, mental image!"_ Ha ha ha!

"Where did you go?"

"The ramen shop near the bakery," I say. "We didn't want to go anywhere near the apartment in case you, Lianjie, Jialing or Mom and Dad passed by and saw us," Even though it probably wouldn't have been seen as anything more than 'two friends having lunch,' I know since Lianjie once came in on a date between us near a new arcade he was trying out: He joined us and didn't suspect a thing (I was nervous as hell, even though I managed to hide it). He didn't even joke about it like I expected him to. "It was a _great_ first date." I can't help but smile at the memory. "But, um, when Takato came out…Like I said, he was home alone and saw me walk up to the bakery from his balcony. He got my attention and told me he'd let me in. He told me what was going on and that he was, actually, just about to invite me over. His parents had left that morning." Takato actually didn't _know_ he'd be home alone for the next five days until the night before, otherwise he told me he would have called to tell me about what was going on and we'd have planned something. He was sort of excited about being home alone for so long, too, it was a first for him.

"So, you two were all alone together?" Xiaochun asks.

I nod. "We decided to watch some episodes of Digimon Adventure on his new DVD set and…Well, um, you've seen Adventure, right? The first season, not the second." Xiaochun never really watched the show until a couple years ago and has been _trying_ to get caught up on all the seasons. So far, I know she's seen Savers, Frontier and part of Xros Wars (she watched the two seasons out of order at first, not knowing I only had the _second _season on the DVR – Now she's getting caught up on the first season via my downloads and then she'll watch my DVRs in the family room: Our DVRs are all shared on that receiver).

Xiaochun nods. "I finished your DVD set last weekend. I'm going to start on the second season this weekend."

"Well, um…The episode with VenomVamdemon, when Taichi and Yamato hold hands? I…I noticed Takato was looking at me every now and then during that scene." Two or three times since the 'prophecy' was named, at least half a dozen since the episode started, I wasn't sure _what_ was going on at first beyond if there was something on my face or something behind me. "When I asked him if there was something wrong he…He actually _paused_ it on the hand holding scene, just before Angemon and Angewomon throw the arrows at Taichi and Yamato…They were holding hands right in front of us." It was…_fitting_, actually, but Takato told me pausing it _there_ was unintentional. He just panicked and hit 'pause' as soon as he found the button.

Xiaochun laughs, "I remember that scene, even I thought, um, the writers were hinting at _something_ with them at that point, you know?"

I nod. _"All_ of us joke about that scene when we watch it, it's just that season's most 'infamous' moment, you know?" Even Hirokazu knows how big of a shounen-ai following Adventure has and he _avoids_ shounen-ai like the plague whenever we go manga or anime shopping. Someone'll point it out to him and he'll just roll his eyes and say 'yeah, yeah' or something like that: We sort of _joke_ about it with him at that point_ ("Hey, Hirokazu-kun, found one of your favorites!"_) because of his reaction (Ryou started it, actually). Ha ha ha! "I asked him what was wrong and…" …Takato went _quiet. _

I almost immediately regretted asking anything just because of how there was a sudden seriousness in the air. This wasn't as simple as 'Jen has something on his face' or 'How does Jen not _see_ what's going happening on the wall behind him?' There was something _very wrong._ And it had to do with me, apparently.

"_Je-Jen, um…So-Sorry, I just…It's…I-I…"_ Takato just stammered something borderline coherent now and then. And the longer he did that, the more worried I got.

_"Takato-kun, is something wrong? I mean…Do I have something on my face or something?"_

I'd noticed him staring at me more than a few times but didn't really _say_ anything until that point. He'd always try to 'casually' look back to the episode when I noticed or just…let out a nervous laugh and look away, embarrassed. I didn't think too much of it or anything until about the fifth time…

…Something was _definitely_ bothering him, I thought. He was…actually gauging my reaction to the handhold scene. Seeing if I had any sort of 'change' in my expression, seeing Taichi and Yamato hold hands or if I'd make a joke about it, like Hirokazu or Ryou usually would. Or scoff and say something like '_just make out already' _like Ruki.

"_N-No…I...was…I…"_ We were chatting like we usually would throughout most of the other episodes but, when that one started, Takato had grown silent and a little distant. Anything I did say got a nod or a 'yeah,' like he wasn't really paying attention. Looking back, Takato was deep in thought. He told me that, well, that episode got him thinking about himself and his 'situation.' And the fact that 'the object of his affection' (as he tried to _delicately _put it later) was sitting next to him.

"_Takato…? Se-Seriously, what's going on?"_

_"I-I was wondering if you'd do what Hirokazu did during that scene, um, roll your eyes or anything,_" he _finally_ said after almost a minute of silence.

"_Wh-What? Why?"  
><em>

"_N-No…No reason but…Jen-kun, um, ca-can we talk? I-I…There's something I've…wanted to tell…_Anyone_ at this point."_ Takato sounded so _serious_ as he said this but his expression? He was scared. _"A-And since you're my best friend…I-I think it should be you. Yo-You should be…the first person I tell, Jen, because of…how…important…you are to me."_ He was choosing his words _carefully_ and it was, well, less obvious to me at the time than it should have been.

_"What are you talking about?"_

"…_I'm tired, Jen-kun. I-I'm sorry, I'm just…so _tired_…"_ For the first time in a long time, I saw Takato _tearing up_. He doesn't cry as much as he used to as a kid, not _nearly_ as much.

"_Ti-Tired? …Not…of _me_ or anything, ri-right?"_ …I had _no idea_ what Takato could have _meant!_ We-Well, looking back it…was sort of obvious where this could 'go' but…

…When you're so convinced you're 'alone,' you…You force _everyone else_ into the closet with you, you know? …I-I _never_ suspected Takato as gay. Never in a million years. He felt the same way about me and the same with Kenta towards us the day he found out. Kenta even said, he wouldn't have believed it if he didn't see us _kissing_ like he did, like if Ruki or Hirokazu told him they caught us or something. Kenta said he really would have had to see it to believe it because he was _so_ sure he was the 'only one.'

"_O-Of _you?_ N-No, _never_, Jen-kun! I-I meant…Tired of…hiding something…"_ Takato took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. _"I-I…I don't know how you'll take this, Jen but…Can I ask one last favor from you, if you don't…approve…?"_ The words 'last favor' gave me a _chill_, actually. I really didn't suspect Takato was coming out, so hearing the word 'last' from him had me really worried.

_"Do-Don't…approve? Takato…You can ask a_ favor_, but…not a _last_ favor. I-I don't _want_ to ever do a _last_ favor for you, Takato."_ …I was getting nervous, just from Takato's tone and words like 'tired' and 'last favor.'

"_Please…Don't tell anyone else this. I-I just...I couldn't handle it if…"_ Takato…started crying. For the first time in so long, I was seeing Takato _cry_.

"_Ta-Takato-kun…_Please_, tell me what's wrong! Gods, _please_, just tell me!"_

"…_I…Je-Jen-kun, I'm…I…"_ Takato stopped crying long enough to take a long, deep breath and say, after a long exhale. He said it as confidently as he could, more confidently than I _ever_ could in his position. "_Jen-kun, I'm gay."_

…Those last two words…The look on Takato's face after he said them, _neither of us_ could believe he actually _said that_. I-I…I just…

…We were both quiet for a long time, save for the occasional sob from Takato after about half a minute. He later told me how sure he was that he'd regret saying those words, that this was all the biggest mistake of his life, that _just once_ he wished he listened to every voice in his head _screaming_ as loud as they could, "DON'T DO THIS, YOU IDIOT!"

"…_What? Ta-Takato…Did you just say you're…_gay?_"_ I didn't think I heard him right, I _really_ thought he had said something, _anything_, else but 'gay.'

_"Ye-Yeah…I-I'm sorry, Jen, I'm just so tired of hiding it, I wanted to tell someone…_ Anyone_. Please, don't be mad. I-I just…thought since, well, you're…my best friend, you should be the one I finally tell. I don't know why but…I-I'm sorry, Jen, _please—"

"_N-No, Takato…I-I _can't_ be mad at you. Tru-Trust me, I _can't_ be mad at you over this! E-Ever!"_ That was the closest I could say to 'I'm gay, too' at the time. I was hoping he'd 'get the hint' with that but…I-I'm glad he didn't, I-I owed him more than just 'me, too' for what he did for me by coming out. _"Yo-You're _serious, _though? You're gay?"_ …I-I…I _wanted_ to say 'I'm gay, too' but…I-I _couldn't!_ I could barely believe this was happening! Takato…_came out!_ To _me!_

"_Ye-Yeah, I'm…serious,"_ Takato barely spoke above a whisper, he kept his head lowered the entire time. We were in his room, on a folded up blanket on the floor by his bed, leaning against a huge pile of pillows from around the house. It was dark, the curtain for his sliding glass door was closed and the lights were off for the 'Adventure-thon' we were watching: Vamdemon and Dark Masters Arc (our favorites from the first season), then we'd start Adventure 02...

…Until this, at least. The only light source was his television and the little bit of sunlight outlining the curtain over his sliding glass door.

"…_Wo-Wow…I-I…I never suspected you, Takato. E-Ever. Yo- You're gay?"_ …I-I felt so stupid for more or less _reminding him_ that he was gay and saying it so many times but…

…I had to say it to _believe it._

"_Ye-Yeah. Is it…a problem, Jen-kun?"_

"_N-No, it's _anything_ but a problem, Takato-kun. I-I…I…"_ …I was starting to tear up, too. I didn't know _how_ I felt beyond _stunned_. I was shaking a little, too, like Takato at that point. He wasn't crying any more, at least, he was still nervous but, compared to before, _relaxed_. A lot more relaxed than I was.

This was really happening. My best friend was gay, too.

"_It really isn't?"_ I'm sure he was nervous because of how I was acting. I just never thought I'd have _any_ sort of conversation like this. Especially not with Takato.

_"…If…I told you I…was…"_

I-I _still_ couldn't finish that sentence. I wanted to say 'the same,' but…

"_Told me you were what? Jen-kun? What's wtong?"_

…I guess 'numb' would be a good way to describe how I felt. I wasn't sure any of this was _real_ since I'd more or less convinced myself I was the 'only one' on _Earth _by that point. The fact that, a few days before, Lianjie and I had lunch at a ramen shop and he _would not shut up_ about our 'hot waitress' was _not_ helping that feeling_—No. _The fact that every other male I knew (even _Takato_ when he was 'hiding') talked about 'hot girls' _so much_ that it just made me feel so alone. The fact I had to 'play along' like I did with Lianjie and my friends made me feel so alone. The fact that doing so made me feel like I was somehow _broken_ made me feel so alone.

All that made it so hard to believe that this was really happening.

I took a deep breath, I lowered my head and collected my thoughts, I only focused on two words, two words that I _finally_ managed to say after Takato calmed down, too: _"Me, too."_ …I owed him more than those two words but, I'm sorry, Takato-kun, It was, literally, _the best_ I could do.

"_Wh-What?"_

_"I-I'm…the same, Takato."_

…I _still_ couldn't say 'the world's most difficult three letter word' like he could…

"_You're joking."_

_"N-No, I'm not. I-I'm gay."_

…Until then. I don't think I had _ever_ said 'I'm gay' out loud. I-I couldn't believe I managed to say it.

After that, neither of us knew what to say or do. We stared at each other in stunned silence for a long time, wiping our eyes now and then, holding back the occasional sob. At that point we both started to get a little emotional. We calmed down, at least, on the outside. On the inside, I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest at any second. Takato told me he was amazed his heart _held out_ the entire time.

Finally, Takato came close and _hugged_ me.I hugged back, _tightly_,and I let out a sob because I was so happy. _"…Thank you,_" I whispered to him, _barely_ holding back another sob. _"Thank you for telling me, Takato-kun. Thank you _so much_."_

"_Thank you for not being upset, Jen-kun…I-I had no idea that you, too…"_ He let out a relieved laugh, hugging me a little tighter for a few seconds before letting me go. It actually took me a few seconds to let go of him…

…I was _happy_, for the first time _ever_ I wasn't afraid to acknowledge my orientation. I didn't feel weird. We _still_ weren't sure what we should "do" after this…Well, beyond _smiling_ and the (not-so-)occasional hug once it all sunk in: We didn't have _anything_ to be afraid of anymore.

"…And he told me he was gay," I begin, looking to Xiaochun for a second, she's definitely interested in hearing this, I was worried she might be disappointed by how she _still_ ended up getting, not only, the same advice she'd have gotten from Jialing but even_ less useful_ advice. Instead, she's staring at me in with an almost disbelieving look but…I can't help but smile at the fact _she's_ smiling, too. "It took me a minute before I could…tell him I was the same but when I did, we were..." I let out a quiet laugh, I smile _every time_ think of how happy we were at that point. I mean, it was a complete reversal of the seriousness we felt and more.

I think I might _still_ thank Takato for finally 'getting tired enough' to tell me.

"Jianliang?"

"It was…the happiest day of my life," I say. "I didn't want to say I had feelings for him or anything bold like that. Just hearing that I wasn't alone was great enough at the time, the thought I _could_ have a chance with Takato hadn't even crossed my mind. I was just so happy knowing I wasn't alone." The fact that I had a chance with someone I _knew_ I had feelings for really didn't cross my mind at the time, I don't know why. I guess it was that level of disbelief that was still lingering, that I was going to wake up at any second.

If that was a dream, I don't think I'd have been able to bring myself to get out of bed…I'd give _anything_ to go back to sleep and _keep dreaming_ forever. Especially since a dream like that is proof that the universe is simply _cruel_and there could never be enough black speedo-ed Ryou Akiyamas in it to ever justify such cruelty.

"I-I bet that was _huge_," Xiaochun says. "I-I mean, just knowing someone so…_close_ to you was the same? That he understood everything?"

I nod. "Exactly."

"So, when…did you two become a couple?"

".Um…" That…was interesting…

Takato and I spent I don't even know _how_ long talking to each other about, well, _everything!_ Once we got over the shock of what had just happened…

…We were smiling, I'll never forget that. We were grinning like idiots because, well, we _could talk about it!_ _Finally,_ we had someone to talk to about…EVERYTHING!

Things…were (very) obviously heading down the 'let's go out' road before we even got _close_ to asking each other the question that, by then, I'm sure was on both our minds:_ Do you like anyone?_

After we finally calmed down we…repositioned ourselves on the blanket, sort of, um, holding each other, resting ourselves on a huge pile of pillows.

And, that whole time, the episode was _still_ paused on Taichi and Yamato holding hands…Ha ha ha! We didn't watch any more Digimon, actually, we just talked for _hours_ and, eventually, I had to leave because I got a call from Lianjie telling me to get home before it was dark: We still didn't have power.

"…_Um, si-since it's…this episode,"_ Takato, um, between the two of us, was the most bold on this subject. _"Um, have you ever…been a fan of…?"_

I-I got what he was hinting at. _"…A-A few. You?"_

_"Ye-Yeah, um, I'm…on a few art sites, mostly Taito or Daiken. I-I'm, um, RoaringGuilmon."_

...I _still_ can't believe that _or_ my reaction. _"Je-Jen? …Wh-What's…What's so funny?"_

…I couldn't hold back my laughter._ "I-I'm…a fan."_ I really was. I-I _knew_ 'RoaringGuilmon's' artwork from one of my favorite Daiken shrines! Takato and I have been 'out' to each other more than we realized…

…I was sort of glad I lost the nerve to _email_ RoaringGuilmon since I _know_ Takato would have recognized my email address (RoaringGuilmon used one I didn't know).

"_Wh-What?"_

_"Th-The picture of The Digimon Kaiser and with that chained up Daisuke you did…"_

"_O-Oh_ GODS!_ You've…You've seen…?"_ Despite that description, Takato _doesn't_ draw hentai…

…At least, none I know about.

_"Ye-Yeah…You're_ really_ good, Takato-kun. I also liked that, um, picture of Daisuke and 'Angelic Kaiser' you did."_ It was a picture of Daisuke being hugged from behind by the Digimon Kaiser 'redeemed' with angel wings and his purple glasses replaced with Osamu's.

Takato started laughing just as hard._ "I-I can't believe it…Ha ha ha! I'm glad you…liked my artwork, Jen-kun."_

We just spent so much time talking like that and…I was practically _holding_ Takato at that point, I was on my back and Takato was on his side, leaning into me and I had an arm around him. So, when he finally asked…

"_Can I ask a personal question, Jen? I-If you don't mind…"_

"_Not at all…Takato, I _never_ thought I'd talk to anyone about any of this, so…Ask anything you want to."_ At that point, I think I could have answered _anything_.

"_Is there anyone that you, ah, that you…_"Takato turned to face me, the color of his face gave me an idea of what he was going to say.

"…Takato asked me if there was anyone I liked," I begin. "It was a little awkward to answer…"

…In the sense I _don't_ want to tell Xiaochun my, um, _first ever_ attempt at being 'romantic.'

"…_Like?"_ Takato's voice was a _little_ higher than it usually was when he finally managed to finish his sentence.

"_Li-like? A-As in…?"_

Takato just gave a single, _quick_ nod, his eyes…almost popping out of his skull at that point. Everything about him screamed 'I shouldn't be asking this.'

…I…Um…

…I was just…so happy that…

I sat up, Takato did the same and…I put both hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eyes._ "…Ye-Yes. A-A lot._"I _tried_ to sound…cool and confident but the fact my arms were trembling was _not_ helping 'set the mood.'

But…Takato got the message and we both _tried_ to, um, let things play out like one of 'RoaringGuilmon's' more romantic pictures but…

…We both burst into giggles as our faces were about half a foot apart, Takato started laughing a split second before I did, it took us a minute to calm down. _"So-Sorry, Jen-kun, but…I-I…"_

_"Ha ha…I know…I thought it'd be fun to…"_

_"M-Me, too! Ha ha! Yo-You like me, though? Re-Really?"_

_"I-I do, Takato-kun. Do you…?"_

I should have…maybe gotten confirmation he liked me back _before_ I…even _thought_ of trying to kiss him but, looking back, the fact we were _holding each other_ for so long after he came out?

…Takato says it the best: Why did he even bother asking?

"_Ye-Yeah, it's part of why I wanted to tell you first. I didn't think there was a _chance_you'd like me back, though."_

_"I know, I never thought there was a chance I'd_ know_ anyone else, let alone…You, Takato…chan._"

"_I thought I was taking the biggest, stupidest risk of my life, Jen-chan…"_ Takato gave me a hug, adding, _"It was worth it."_

"…He asked if I liked anyone and…I answered honestly: I liked him. We were 'official' after that," I say. "It's…I-I know not…really romantic but…"

Xiaochun shakes her head. "N-No, it was…I-I mean, your _best friend_, Jianliang. I'm really glad it worked out for you."

I smile, "Thanks."

Takato and I _eventually_ had our first kiss a little later, after we managed to stop laughing at each attempt. And, from then on, we'd been together. I went to visit Takato or he came to my apartment to 'drop off bread' every day of his parents' trip. After that, we saw each other in secret. Our 'dates' were just two friends 'having lunch' or 'having dinner and seeing a movie.' Though….I wonder…

"…Xiaochun, um, Lianjie and Jialing…don't suspect anything, do they? B-Be honest, _please_," I ask, turning to Xiaochun. "I mean…" …Lianjie has made the odd comment about how much time I spend with Takato here and there. And he _loves_ to joke about how I 'can't find a girlfriend.' As for Jialing…I don't know.

"No way," Xiaochun shakes her head. "Lianjie just thinks you're bad with girls and Jialing doesn't suspect a thing. If they did, Jianliang, you'd know. _Trust me_." Yeah, with Lianjie, at least, it'd be _obvious_ he was starting to get suspicious.

"Did you?" She _did_ joke that I was 'madly in love' with Takato…

"No," Xiaochun shakes her head again, adding, "I-I mean, when I said you were in love with Takato before, I-I was joking. Sorry if I worried or offended you, Jianliang."

"Don't be. Trust me, I-I…I'm really glad we're having this talk." I let out a quiet laugh. "Thank you, Xiaochun."

"Does anyone else know? Or just me?"

"…One other person," I say. "Takato and I had a 'secret spot' in the park, that _huge_ willow tree with the leaves that reach almost to the ground," I describe, Xiaochun nods. "Well, one day…"

Takato and I were, more or less, making out…I-I won't lie, we're _really_ "affectionate" when we're alone. We haven't gone _that_ far yet but we have our secret make out spots…

…We gave up the willow tree after, um, well…

We had our eyes closed but a _brief_ flash of sunlight and the sound of rustling branches got our attention and we broke our kiss and looked to the source…

…And nearly pissed ourselves. We were in each others' arms and, even if we _hadn't_ had our lips locked, it was _obvious_ we were 'more than friends' from how we were sitting. But I don't think our expressions of shock were anywhere _close_ to the levels on Kenta Kitagawa's face…

...It was one of those long, awkward silences where all parties involved can do no more than just stare at each other with jaws hanging by a thread and eyes ready to start dangling from their sockets. My mind was _running_ with possible explanations for what Kenta had scene, _anything_ but 'we're gay.'

Kenta was the one to break the silence, _"…Thank the Gods…"_

Those were the last words we expected to hear from Kenta, especially based on his expression. Takato and I exchanged a confused glance before turning back to Kenta. He'd fallen on his knees at that point, he was…starting to smile.

"…_I'm not alone."_ He said after a few moments, his smile getting even bigger. He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head, "_Yo-You two…? Re-Really? …You two are…?"_

"…_Kenta-kun? Yo-You're…?"_ Takato was the first to really be able to speak.

Kenta could only nod. _"So-Sorry to…interrupt, but…Thank the Gods I-I was the one who came here."_ Kenta gave us the reason _why_ we can't use that 'secret spot' any more.

"_Wh-What do you mean?"_

_"This is…This is where Hirokazu and Ryou like to stash some of their cards and play where Ruki can't find them. A lot. The-They're a few branches up, in the metal box, on the other side of the tree."_ Like how Takato used to hide his cards in the old playground equipment…The fact we'd been using this spot _so long_ had us _so_ relieved that, when we got caught, it was by Kenta and _not_ either Hirokazu or Ryou (or _both_).

"_Sh-Shit! A-Are they…?" _Takato and I separated _immediately_.

"_N-No, Hirokazu just asked me to check on his cards for him when I told him I was going to be in the area…I-I'm alone, really."_

We were _so_ relieved. We relaxed and got "comfortable" again, but not _too_ comfortable. Kenta approached us and sat down and…

…Like with Takato, we just _talked_ for hours. Kenta was more insecure over things than we were, I think it has more to do with how Ruki targets him and Hirokazu for gay jokes more than us. He was afraid he was "obvious," even though we said he wasn't (and he believed us, save for still thinking that Ruki, at the very least, has strong suspicions about him).

"…Kenta walked in on us kissing. Thankfully, the first thing he said, made us feel better that we were discovered. He was happy not being 'alone,' like we felt," I explain.

"_All_ of you felt alone?" Xiaochun asks. "I-I mean, um, you _know_ gays existed. I mean, I know you didn't think you suddenly started a trend that turned into an entire anime and manga genre decades before you were born, but...You really felt _alone?_"

"I-I know," I laugh a little. "I mean, seeing anything that acknowledged there's other gay guys out there like on TV or something is one thing…It's another thing to_ know_ someone."

"Like friends or…family, right?" Xiaochun asks.

I nod. "I can't talk about what I'm going through with a book or DVD, I might be able to, sort of, relate to a character but…" I trail off.

"…Yeah, there's probably, like, _three_ realistic gay characters in all of shounen-ai, right? At least, ones you _could _look at and compare yourself to them, right?"

"_Exactly_ what I was going to say," I say, smiling with a nod. "I-I mean, being able to _talk to_ someone, I-I can't say it _enough_: It feels _good_, just knowing someone else has been there, someone can help me because they understand what I'm feeling? …It's such a relief."

"I bet it is," Xiaochun smiles, giving me a hug. "Thanks, Jianliang!"

I hug back. "Thank you, Xiaochun…N-Now, um, about your confession…"

"…I can do it now," Xiaochun says, smiling._ What?_

"But…Xiaochun, _before_ you were…"

"After hearing what you went through, Jianliang, I-I…I feel a lot better about what might happen. Thank you for telling me your story, Jianliang…_Xie xie!_"

I nod. I-I guess…I mean, she knows how well things played out for me, no matter how scary things got, so…Compared to telling a _boy_ she likes him? Yeah, things…could be a lot worse, I guess. "Can you tell me his name, at least? C'mon…I told you _my_ boyfriend's name…" I trail off, playfully, as Xiaochun goes to my door. She rests her hand on my doorknob.

"…Makoto-kun," Xiaochun replies after a few moments. "I like Makoto-kun."

"Impmon's Tamer? I didn't know you were in touch with him again," I say. We…_barely_ remember those two from back then.

Xiaochun nods. "Ai's in my homeroom class, we're friends again and…Well, Makoto-kun's, um, really nice and everything. I like him a lot."

I nod. "Good luck, Xiaochun."

Xiaochun nods. "I'm going to go call him right now." She opens my door and walks off.

I go back to watching Xros Wars, though it's hard to focus on it given what just happened…

…I have that 'numb' feeling again, sort of. More at the disbelief that I told Xiaochun about Takato and I. One more person knows, now…I hope Takato won't be upset that I told Xiaochun. He knows how hard it _used_ to be for her to keep secrets, we wouldn't normally trust her with something like this.

I admit, I'm a little upset by how 'easy' her 'problem' suddenly is. Based on how she was acting before, I was expecting to spend another hour helping her with Makoto. I shouldn't feel like that, though, I'd rather she didn't go through _any_ of the stress I did.

I decide to check on Xiaochun, just to make sure she's ready to do this…I know, just from how nervous Takato was, that confessing to _anyone_ is difficult, even if she doesn't have the same "concerns" we did.

I go out into the hall and to Xiaochun's room, her door is closed. I'm about to knock when I hear a phone dialing fairly loudly…Actually, that's because the gap between her door and the floor is a _little_ bigger than most, so you can hear what's going on in her room pretty easily (I'd have _never_ talked to her about Takato in her room because of it, not even if I knew sign language). I stand by the door so she can't see my feet, I probably _shouldn't_ do this but…

…I just want to make sure my little sister is okay. She was really nervous before. And all of us, especially Lianjie, are a little protective of her. Jialing told me how much Lianjie _freaked out_ when I went to the Digital World and that it was _nothing_ compared to when Xiaochun "vanished" and they overheard Mom asking Dad if she went to that "other world," too. I had no idea Lianjie cared about _me_ that much but, Xiaochun? He often says, _"Someone makes my little sister cry, they _die_." _So when she "disappeared" like I did, especially to "another world," Lianjie was a nervous wreck until we got back...

...In fact, when she and I walked through the door upon returning home Lianjie _charged_ at us both and gave his this _really_ tight hug...He was crying, saying he was afraid we were gone forever. I even apologized for worrying him so much, he told me, _"If you EVER disappear like that again, Jianliang, I'm going to find a way to go after you and drag you back home myself! DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"_

...Lianjie may one day break my sanity but I know he cares about me enough to try to fix it when that day comes.

I hear Xiaochun talking on the phone, "_…Makoto-kun? He-Hey, um…Is Ai there? I-I need to talk to her, it's important."_ …What? _"…Thanks! …Ai-chan? Um, hey, it's Xiaochun…I was wondering if you could meet me at the park. I need to talk to you. …Thanks! See you soon!"_

…Xiaochun…?

~Owari~

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><p>Ori's Notes:<p>

…Be honest, you see that ending coming or not? Probably, but…I sort of wanted to play with a shoujo-ai pairing for once. And I've already paired Xiaochun with Makoto in Mirai No Kodomo, so I thought Ai would be the best choice (I _think_ the age difference between the two is one or two years, they never gave an official age or surname for Ai and Makoto so it's just "as old or little younger than Xiaochun" for Ai).

Anyway, just an idea I wanted to play with. Hope you liked it! Also "Meimei" is Chinese for "Little Sister," "Xiaomei" would be an affectionate way of saying "Little Sister Xiao." Which is, sort of, a pun since "Xiao" also means "Little" (Xiaochun's name means "Little Spring").

"Gege" means "Big brother," so "Jianliangge" is an affectionate way to say "Big Brother Jianliang." "Er" is used between parent and child (and I think male-exclusive, but I'm not sure). All can just be seen as a Chinese form of "-chan" but, with Chinese, you use a different term depending on _how_ you're related to that person (it gets _really_ complicated with Uncles and Aunts, too, depending on which parent they're related to and if they're older or younger than the parent). For little brothers, it's "didi" and big sisters it's "jiejie." Also, a general respectful term used between males can translate to "brother," which can be taken from the saying "Within the seven seas, all men are brothers." (This phrase comes up _a lot_ in _Shui Hu Zhuan_\The Water Margin\Outlaws of the Marsh, which is the novel Suikoden is based on).

Also, as usual, the Xros Wars spoiler (Dark Masters\Devimon\Vamdemon return) is fake (for now at least).

Though anyone keeping track of Xros Wars' second season, I gotta say this: The Meeting of The Goggle Boys and Xros Wars are officially _FREAKING ME OUT!_ Seriously, either I'm psychic, a reality warper or Toei's spyin' on me... You guys know what I'm talking about, I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who's waiting for the dub\hasn't caught up with the latest episode.

Just in case my fics _do_ have some bearing on reality all of a sudden I present you all a bonus mini-fic!

A Test Of Reality Warping Abilities

Once upon a time Digimon Tamers got a second season from Toei, airing right after Xros Wars finished its second season. And the fandom was pleased as the second season was twice as awesome as the first and gave both Li Lianjie and Li Jialing prominent roles as Tamers. Also, a Digimon fan fiction writer by the name of Ori won the lottery and bought a turtle farm where he and his co-writing tortoise, Takato, wrote many best-selling novels together. Because tortoises make the best co-writers, especially goggle wearing Russian Tortoises named Takato.

During this time, an editor by the name of Taiki Matsuki got a new super PC so awesome it made Koushirou Izumi weep tears of jealousy and made all of Hypnos feel technologically inadequate. And Jenrya and Takato along with Hirokazu and Kenta became official couples in Digimon Tamers' second season, making him the happiest closet case on the face of the Earth!

~Owari~

(Hey, if there's the SLIGHTEST chance my writing is somehow affecting reality I'm gonna put my powers to use! I'll let you guys know if it works!)

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><p>Taiki's Notes:<p>

Ori, I'd think you were insane for that "mini-fic" but given how you somehow predicted the second season of Xros Wars AND (technically) the recent "amazing reveal" of the second season's plot I have only this to say: Please invite me to your turtle farm and thank you for the super PC! I still have yet to replace my old one but I'm still quite happy with your old laptop! Thank you again, Ori! And enjoy those lottery winnings!

And, yes, those pairings becoming official would make me the world's happiest Closet Ca-DAMN IT, ORI! You have _me_ doing it, now! But it is a very small price to pay for Jenkato becoming official! Ha ha ha!

As for my notes on the new fic: I had just returned home from a trip and found _this_ little surprise in my inbox, I was very excited to see a new fic from Ori so I had to get it up as soon as possible! I'm always excited to see a new Jenkato from Ori! Or a new, um, Aichun? XiaoAi? What would the second pairing be called? Either way, I'm also excited to see Ori coming up with new and exciting pairings for Tamers, I think _this_ is another "Ori original" pairing, actually, (Like Jiangyu x Yamaki) but I'll double check after this is posted.

I didn't see the ending coming but only because Ori's never been known for shoujo-ai. He wrote, maybe, three back when he was on this site and he and I both agree that they weren't very good. I hope Xiaochun's confession goes well, though! Good luck, Xiaochun!

Also, a note: We're revamping the "Upcoming Stories" section with more details on Ori's current projects and status. It's due to his current hip problem (which makes it hard for him to sit at a computer for long periods of time) that we're expanding the list with everything plus "completeness" reports. Fics are probably going to take longer than usual now but Ori is still dedicated to writing, as always! Check the profile now and then for when it's complete! Thank you!

-Taiki Matsuki


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